grey heron; gray heron
A large wading bird (Ardea cinerea) common in Japan. Often seen near rivers and rice fields.
A grey heron was standing still by the river.
Katakana spelling is common for bird names and matches usual-kana usage.
Kanji form is rare; the bird is almost always written in kana.
From 青 (ao, 'blue/green') + 鷺 (sagi, 'heron'), referring to the bird's bluish-grey plumage.